Apparatus are known for treating people with back ailments by means of traction and torsion. One such known apparatus includes a rotatably arranged support for the patient's chest and head; a raisable and lowerable support means arranged for rotation about its axis and intended for supporting the small of the back of a patient; and a longitudinally displaceable support means for supporting the pelvis and legs of the patient.
Another known apparatus includes head/chest supports; means for supporting the small of the back, the pelvis and the legs of a patient, with the leg support means arranged for repeated rotary movement in a vertical direction and the means for supporting the small of the back and the pelvis being arranged for rotary movement about a horizontal axis irrespective of the movement of the leg support means. Although these and other similar apparatus permit certain controlled relative movement between the pelvis area and chest area of a patient, there is still a need for apparatus which are more flexible in operation and which can be adapted more readily to the individual requirements of different patients undergoing treatment.